The American pianist and composer, Florence Prince was the first African American woman to have her work performed by major orchestras. Prince helped to forge the African American influence on music through her prolific compositional career— with over 300 hundred compositions written While Prince received her early music education from her mother, at the age of 15 she entered the New England Conservatory. Prince moved to Arkansas; however, she shortly left due to economic instability and racial tensions. In 1932 Prince received national recognition as a composer when she won the Wanamaker Prize. Despite the immense social discrimination within her time period, Prince helped to move forward the African American voice within the musical scene.